Until I Fall Away
by freespirited11
Summary: A princess from a faraway planet winds up on earth after dangerous and unknown circumstances. Encountering the Weasley family and eventually finding herself at Hogwarts, she must recover her memory and fight to defend herself and newfound loved ones
1. Chapter 1

There was nothing like a starry night on the planet Mercury. The brilliant and encroaching sun in the sky gave way to a cool and serene night speckled with millions of stars and planets. "A few more important than the others," Princess Mercury thought to herself. Venus, Earth, and Mars she could easily make out among the other glowing balls of mass. The others were very faint and at times, indecipherable. Tonight, however, she could make out each and every one of them. All were in line with each other, which only happened once every one hundred years.

In celebration of this rare occurrence, a glorious ball was planned. People from all over Mercury came to the capital to celebrate this planets peaceful and prosperous existence. Elaborate feasts were prepared, as well as music, dancing, and entertainment. Happiness was in an abundant supply because Mercurians loved nothing more than to get together and celebrate among companions. A ball was to be held in the royal palace for the royal friends, family, and trusted ones. Happy chatter echoed throughout the palace and city. Yet, despite the occasion, Princess Mercury found it hard to rejoice on this day. Gazing at the stars reminded her of her absent friends. All had been invited, but all had declined claiming to be "busy with important things". She had faith in her friends and believed them, but her trust did not make up for the sadness that swelled in her heart. She had not seen them in so long…She signed. It was useless to continue resonating on their absences. She promised herself that she would plan a rendezvous as soon as she could. She blew a kiss to the cluster of planets and turned her attention to the city.

Lights twinkled throughout the city like diamonds. Different strings of music reached her, all coming from various parties. Laughter was prevalent and floated up to her high place on the balcony. She smiled down on the capital city which would someday be hers…this thought sent a chill through her. She knew she would become queen one day, but she was not sure if she would be ready for it. Her mother was a graceful, kind, fair and diplomatic queen and it will be hard to fulfill her standards. The entire kingdom will be left to her discretion. That kind of power scared her, and she knew she had to master it eventually. But not yet; she had three years until she became twenty, the age of coronation. She had enough time to get her priorities straight. Besides, she won't be doing it alone…

She then turned her thoughts to Tristan: her love, her soul mate. He completes her in every way that one can be completed. Their relationship started as a young, playful flirtation with hours lying together in the palace gardens, gazing at the stars. She could talk about anything to him and simply be herself. Being a princess was all about keeping up appearance; but with him, she could be the girl that she was born to be. He listened to her as she spoke of books, science, and philosophy. He never grew tired of her endless love for poetry. He even wrote some for her, to convey how much he cared for her.

As both souls matured, their relationship grew more serious. Love crept up on them and they knew that they wanted to be together forever.

She smiled, looking down at the dazzling diamond ring on her left finger. Tonight was the night that they would announce their engagement. No one knows, not even the queen. Her insides squirmed at this thought. How was she going to react? She knew that her Mother liked Tristan, but was not sure if she would find him a suitable husband for her. Anxiousness overtook her thoughts as she contemplated the possibilities.

Lost in her thoughts, she did not notice someone creep up as they put their hands in front of her eyes.

"Guess who"

The hands were big, soft, and warm. She knew these hands.

"Tristan my love!" she exclaimed.

She turned around and greeted his soft, strong lips. He had lips of an angel. She could never tire of them. Slowly she pulled away to admire the face that she loved so dearly.

His long blonde hair hung down to his shoulders with beauty and elegance. The light from the stars picked up the silver high-lights in his hair and cast an illuminating light on his white tuxedo and cape. Sheathed At his waist was the traditional Mercurean sword.

All the worry in her heart was gone because with him here, everything in the world seemed right. She looked into his deep blue eyes and wondered how she ever got so lucky to have a kind, gentle, handsome man such as him him as a fiancée.

"Mercury, dear, you look beautiful," murmured Tristan.

"I can say the same for you my white prince," answered Mercury.

But Mercury looked more than beautiful. Her long, wavy blue hair was curled and pinned to one side, lying over one shoulder. She wore her mother's diamond tiara on top of her head to symbolize her princess rank. Her ball-gown was white and strapless that flowed down to the floor with an elegant train and had a corset bodice laced with streaks of dazzling gold.

Tristan admired his stunning fiancée and his soon-to-be-wife. There wasn't any other girl for him. But, even amidst all the beauty and happiness, Tristan could sense worry in Mercury's eyes.

"Darling, what worries you?" asked Tristan

Mercury sighed. He could read her like a book. "I am just a little anxious about how mother will react. I'm afraid she will not give us her blessing."

Tristan smiled. It was so characteristic of her to be concerned about her mother. But she did have a point…

"Mercury, we decided on tonight. I thought that was what you wanted. But if you like, we can postpone the engagement. You know I'd do anything for you."

She felt her heart swell. "And I you. No I don't want to postpone it. If I had my way I would marry you right this second! I just love my mother so much; it would be terrible to do anything against her wishes."

He chuckled at her rashness." You have nothing to worry about. I'm sure it will be fine. Trust me."

Such soft features and beautiful blue eyes; she had always trusted those eyes.

"You're right. It'll be fine; glorious even."

"That's my girl. Now what do you say we go enjoy this ball?"

She smiled. "Splendid idea, my handsome prince."

With that, she wound her arm in his and they made their way off the balcony and towards the inner rooms of the palace.


	2. Chapter 2

Darkness.

The world seemed to be spinning.

Where was the light?

Something wet was accumulating on her face. Was it raining?

Why was she outside?

Slowly, with much effort, she opened her eyes.

Yes. It was raining, very lightly. But it explains why she was wet and why her vision was so blurry. She could feel a slight painful pulse in her head.

But why was she here?

Feeling groggy, she sat up very slowly. Feeling tightness around her torso, she realized she was still wearing her ball gown. It was very dark.

"Strange," she thought. If she was in the palace gardens, it would be lit up. But this place did not seem familiar. She could not smell the familiar floral scent. This place felt very foreign to her.

She heard a rustle behind her.

Quickly she whipped her head around in fright.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed. She felt a sharp pain in her head. The painful pulse grew more pronounced with every heartbeat. She felt the side of her forehead gingerly. Was that rain she was feeling or blood?

What happened?

She strained to remember…

_She and Tristan walked arm-in-arm down several flights of decorated palace stairs before encountering the large oak doors that would lead to the ballroom. They could hear the stifled sound of music coming from the other side._

"_Ready?" asked Tristan._

_Mercury nodded, smiled, and pulled Tristan in for a deep, passionate kiss._

"_I love you," she whispered in his ear._

"_And I will always love you," whispered Tristan._

_Holding hands, they entered through the large, oak doors and then…._

Nothing.

She couldn't remember anything after that. It was like a black hole where her memories should be.

Oh what happened?!

Fright overtook her and she began to tremble, even though the air was warm. Quickly she stood up despite her painful head. She had to find someone…anyone.

She didn't know where to turn. It was utterly dark. She looked up to the sky. Not a single star could be seen. "This isn't right", she thought. "I remember the night being clear and starry." Was it possible that she had been passed out for more than a day? Perhaps her head wound would explain that…but she just couldn't remember anything.

Slowly she began to walk with her hands straight out in front of her. The ground was soft, wet, and grassy. Where were her shoes? She couldn't be too far from the palace. People would be looking for her; Tristan, especially. Why wasn't he here? Something must have gone terribly wrong.

Her hands found something hard, rough, and tall. "A tree for sure" she thought. She figured she was in a forest. Her guess was proven right as she slowly encountered numerous trees, one after the other.

"Tristan, please be ok", she whispered to herself. The fact that she couldn't remember anything scared her. Her worst fears could have come true and she wouldn't even know it. If Tristan were…she shuddered at the thought. Nothing could be more devastating.

Oomph! She tripped landing facedown in the grassy forest floor. Pain rushed to her head and she cringed. She was going to have to stay more alert.

She pushed herself upright again and, a little more cautiously now, continued feeling her way through the forest.

It was eerily quiet. It was never this quiet. Mercurians liked to live close together and found solitude to be undesirable. She hoped she was near civilization, but her hopes were vanquished as she continued through the forest devoid of any human sound.

The quietness pressed down harder and harder. Could she hear breathing or was that her own? She did not know. She began to lose track of time. Everything was so dark, quiet, and never ending. The pounding in her head seemed to only increase with the unbroken silence.

Her fear nearly consumed her at times, but she had to keep moving. She felt exposed in this forest. Anyone or anything could find her in vulnerability. It would be hard to fight off anything when it was so dark, especially if it took her by surprise. She continued to strain her ears for any sounds of warning.

She wondered if she was going in the right direction. What if she was going in the wrong direction? She could just be going deeper and deeper into the forest. Without the stars, she had no sense of direction. She considered calling for help, but that might attract the attention of something dangerous. This definitely felt like a dangerous situation to her, even though she couldn't remember anything.

"Oh Tristan…"whispered Mercury. Grief and frustration were starting to consume her. Tears mixed in with the rainwater on her face as her throat began to ache with suppressed sobs.

Not being able to stand it much longer, she collapsed on the forest floor and bawled.

She just did not understand. She was so used to figuring out problems and finding answers, but nothing made sense. She didn't know where she was or what she should do. The forest was eternal.

"_Mercury!"_

She jumped up.

That was Tristan's voice! He was close!

She began running through the forest."Tristan!" she called. She was sure she heard it in this direction, to her right. Branches snagged at her, but she didn't care. Everything would be ok once she found Tristan.

She continued to call his name, running further. Why wasn't he answering?

"Unhh!"

She tripped again. Now that it was quiet, she couldn't hear anything. His voice was crystal clear…but could it have been her imagination? Her spirits dropped at this thought.

Of course, she thought. He would be at my side in a second if he were anywhere close.

Slowly she stood up, wincing as her head pounded more painfully, and began walking again. Only, the scene was different. The forest was no longer pitch black. Off in the distance, she could make out numerous little lights.

Her mind quickly made the connection: lights meant people.

"Oh please let this be Tristan," she thought.

Learning from her earlier mistake, she kept her pace at a walk, but slightly faster. She did not take as much care keeping quiet. Surely nothing dangerous would be near civilization…

She stopped abruptly as a new idea dawned on her. She leaned against a tree. She had to think about this.

What if these people were dangerous? She did not know where she was or who might be living around here. This whole thing could just be a plot against the royal family. What if these people wanted to hurt her?

She felt her heart racing with adrenaline. She counted her breathing, trying to calm herself down. There was no where else to turn. She had to find out who these people were. They could be help; but if they weren't, then she would have to run, lie, fight, anything; Anything in order to find out what happened and see her love again.

With some newfound courage, she began moving towards the lights.

Slowly they grew brighter and soon she could make out more than just the few she saw earlier. There were many lights. These lights were standing high above a black road…or she thought it was a road. Before stepping onto the road, she looked around: no one was in sight and it was very quiet.

So strange. People were usually awake at night, not being able to take the heat during the day. She began walking quickly up the street. She passed strange little stores like "Quickie Mart" and "Prada". What any of these meant, she did not know or care. All of them were dark and seemingly empty. They would be of no help to her.

Suddenly, she heard the faint sounds of laughter.

Laughter! Maybe it was still the night of the ball!

She turned the corner and found a little pub that was lit up and bursting with music. Her spirits soared. Help is here!

She practically sprinted to the door, ignoring her throbbing head all the while. She pulled open the door and lunged inside. The sight that met her was a little unnerving:

The little, cramped room smelled strongly of smoke. Tables and chairs were packed so tightly that it was a wonder people could move around. Many people were talking at once, chattering, laughing, drinking, or smoking. A few were dancing to the upbeat music in the little space near the back wall that she supposed was a makeshift dance floor. But what was strangest were the people. Many were wearing uncomfortable looking blue pants with buttoned shirts. Some wore pajamas (or were they dresses?) They were very short and very inappropriate. All the men's hair was cut short and the girls had their hair in numerous strange styles. Some were even pink. She never knew anyone to look like this. It was not common to her. Maybe she didn't know her future kingdom as well as she should? These people disturbed her.

She began to wind her way around the chairs as gracefully she could. She did not want to disturb any of these bizarre-looking people. Her goal was to get to the person serving drinks to people. He seemed like a worker here and would know where she was.

She tried not to make eye contact with anyone, but it could not be helped. A few women stared at her with surprise. A red-haired man with glasses looked up from his conversation and his eyes widened in surprise. A dark haired man eyed her with a greedy expression. Increasingly more people looked up from their activities and stared at her, mostly with surprise and wonder. Did they not recognize her?

She reached the counter and called to the worker, trying to raise her voice above the noise of the room.

"Help me please…I don't know where I am. I need to get back to the capital. People will be looking for me."

"What? This is the capital, London." Haven't you been here before? You need to get that cut looked at: it looks kind of serious. What's your name? I might be able to help you. Do you want me to call you an ambulance?" said the man.

Call? What's an ambulance? This man's accent was very strange. She took a deep breathe, trying to ease the pounding pain in her head.

"Sir this isn't the capital. I know my city. I have never been here before. Please tell me where I am."

The man looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"London and this is the capital, the capital of England. Where are you from? I really think you need to get your head checked out. Sounds like you had quite a thump. I'm calling you an ambulance."

She did not understand. Why was his face so fuzzy? This place did not feel right.

"No. I just need to get back to the capital. Has anyone been looking for me?"

"No… who are you?" the man asked.

"I'm Pri…" she stopped. This man should know who she is. Everyone knows who she is. This is not right. Slowly she turned around and walked away from the counter. The scene in the bar was becoming blurry. She intended to leave and find help elsewhere but her path was blocked by the same dark-haired man who was staring at her earlier.

"I heard you talking to the barman about the capital. You need to get back there, is that correct?"

"Yes, I do!" She exclaimed. Here is someone who understands her! "I need to find my family and find out what happened. It's all so confusing to me."

"I understand completely," he said soothingly. "Just come with me, we can take my car. I'll get you to the capital in no time." He grasped her arm and began leading her out of the pub.

"What is a car?" she had never heard of one. She was sure they didn't exist, but it was hard to think. Her thoughts were very fuzzy, but her intuition told her that this didn't feel right.

He chuckled. "I will show you, but tell me your name first."

She got a negative vibe from these she understood that this man was not her friend.

"Let go," she said warningly.

"Don't you want me to get you where your going?" the man asked as his grip on her arm tightened.

She jerked her arm, trying to rid it of his grasp, but his grip was very strong. She felt her strength draining. "I said let go!"

"Is there a problem here?" said a man with strikingly red hair and glasses. Were those glasses? His face was so distorted.

"Stay out of this old man," the dark haired man snarled back. His face frightened her. She tried to wriggle free but only found strength enough for a failed attempt.

"Let go of her, now," The red haired man said forcefully. Things were heating up and she did not like it.

The dark-haired man suddenly lunged at him in a rage, letting go of her in the process. The squabble between the two men caused screams to erupt throughout the bar. Chairs were shoved aside and glasses were broken. She took her chance and ran out the door, into the dark night.

Her heart was pounding with fear. Her only goal was to get away from this wretched place. She ran down the road in her bare feet with her dress picked up, stumbling over her own feet. Why is it so hard to run? She didn't know where she was going; only that she was running.

It felt to her as if this place was not her planet, let alone her city. No one acted the same, talked the same, dressed the same, or even knew her! She felt a wave of nausea hit her and she slowed down. This wasn't her planet…these weren't her people…

Things were spinning out of control for her as she felt her consciousness slip away. Somewhere far away she seemed to be falling…falling…then hitting something hard. Then nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

She was sleeping, but very lightly. A deep sleep only comes to those with untroubled minds, and she was far from it. Her thoughts drifted in and out of different memories, faces, and feelings.

Subconsciously, she knew she was in that grey area between sleep and consciousness, but her body told her to stay asleep. Stay asleep to postpone reality. Her thoughts were numb and it was best that way. It continued like that for what seemed like an eternity, but may have only been minutes. Her serenity slowly gave way to tension that was suddenly present. Somewhere. She began to hear voices around her. They sounded angry.

"…completely outrageous…not our job…"

On some level, she knew she should wake up, but didn't want to.

"…its our duty to help…girl…unidentifiable…"

No no no just let me sleep forever…

"_Mercury!"_

"Tristan!" she cried. She immediately snapped awake, sitting up.

A bright, stark white room blinded her sight for a few seconds. She was lying on a similarly white bed. She looked around the room with hope, but Tristan was not there…had she been dreaming?

The angry voices had stopped. Instantly, a door to her right opened and two men entered. One she recognized to be the older red-haired man from the pub. And yes, he was indeed wearing glasses. The other man was considerably shorter and looked very flustered and red in the face. His balding head and small squinty eyes gave him the appearance of a mole. Both were dressed in long, black robes and gazed at her with wonder.

The red-haired man was the first to speak:

"How are you feeling young lady? You had a nasty head wound. You must have had quite a fall."

"umm…" she gingerly felt her forehead; it was tender, but no longer throbbing with pain.

"Much better, thank you."

"Good, the healers fixed you up well, now we must be on our way," the mole man hastily replied. "Now if you'll excuse us…"

"Albert, wait, we discussed this and we're not going anywhere. She needs protection."

"Then place her under muggle protection! The polleece, or whatever they are. We have other problems to attend to and we don't need any distractions!"

"Now you know the police wont be able to protect her adequately!Be reasonable Albert, surely someone in the ministry can look after her…"

"No, Arthur, no one is available and no one is going to risk their lives to protect an ordinary muggle. I am not going to stay and debate this with you, I have other matters to attend to. Good afternoon!

The man named Albert turned on his heel and left without another word, slamming the door behind him. Once his angry footsteps had faded away, Arthur turned to Mercury and sighed.

"I'm very sorry about my coworker. He's having a tough time with the…err…current situation. Please forgive him."

Mercury was taken aback at the men's argument. They were fighting over her and she despised being the center of tension. But she was thankful for Arthur defending her about her protection. But protection from what?

After a few seconds, she finally found her voice. "Its no problem. Thank you for defending me…Arthur. Arthur is your name?"

"Oh, yes of course. Arthur Weasley. I was there at the pub last night; I don't know if you remember me, you were quite dazed."

"No, I remember you. You saved me didn't you? From that dark man…" She shivered. Never had any man mistreated her like that.

Mr. Weasley's face darkened at the mention of him. "Indeed I did. That was a very bad man you encountered. He is precisely who you need protection from. However, Albert feels that it is not necessary.

Mercury saw him clench his fists.

"Why? Didn't he go to jail?"

"ermm… no he got away, but we'll discuss why later. We need to discuss you first; who you are…where your from…how you ended up at the pub last night…"

She felt her insides freeze. She needed time to think!

"Can you tell me where the bathroom is first? I'd prefer answering your questions after cleaning up a bit."

He looked at her suspiciously for a couple seconds before answering "of course, I'll lead you."

She nodded in recognition and pulled back her bedcovers. She wasn't in her ball gown anymore, but was rather dressed in a dotted, paper like gown. That probably explained why she could breathe freely again.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up slowly. "So far so good," she thought. Mr. Weasley held open the door for her and she walked out of the bright, white room into a hallway with the same demeanor. Mr. Weasley passed her and started walking down the hallway. Slowly, she followed, taking in the strange people and scenes.

There was a man with feathers sprouting out of his head as a nurse (she guessed) was trying to pluck out the feathers, trying to keep up with the reproduction rate.

Another man had steam coming out of his ears as another nurse tried to administer some sort of liquid to him.

It was all very disturbing.

"Don't freak out," she thought to herself. "Just stay calm. You will figure this out. No one wants to do you harm…yet."

Mr. Weasley stopped and opened a door for her, motioning her inside. She thanked him, closed the door, and locked it. Thankfully it was a one-person bathroom.

She took a deep breath and walked to the mirror. What she saw didn't surprise her. She knew she'd been through hell in the past 24 hours…or maybe it was longer?

Her long brown hair was tangled with little leaves and twigs sprouting out of it. Her make-up around her eyes was severely smudged and tear-strains trailed down her cheeks. Slowly she started picking the little bits of forest out of her hair as she thought about what to do. She didn't want to think about it, but she knew she had to.

Unless this was all some sick joke, she knew this wasn't her planet. Other's from her planet had been known to make trips around the solar system, but it was extremely rare. Such trips required vast amounts of energy and were very dangerous, given the planets close proximity to the sun. Gravity was so strong that anything outside of Mercury's atmosphere would get sucked into the sun. Other than that…oh she simply didn't want to think about it, but she felt tears springing into her eyes anyways. Her memories hadn't improved and it hurt her not knowing what was going on.

She was scared and she didn't know what to do. Tristan would know what to do. At that thought her heart beat painfully. Tears overflowed her eyes and silently rolled down her face. She crouched down against the wall and hugged her knees to her chest. The pain was unbearable. His blonde hair and striking blue eyes filled her head. His kind smile…his soft lips… She didn't know what she would do without him. But she needed to do something about her current situation. Now was not the time to lament.

Quickly she wiped her tears away, stood up, and began washing her face. The water cooled her overheated face and washed away that sweat, grime, and make-up. After drying her face, she gazed at her clean face thought about what to do next. Ideas came to her and after thinking it through she decided to go through with them. She took a deep breath, unlocked the bathroom door, and walked out.

~~***********~~

"What is your name? asked Mr. Weasley.

"Myra Karvetski," replied Mercury. It was best to lie.

"How old are you?"

"17"

"where are you from?"

"Here, London." She remembered that from last night.

"Where are your parents?"

"dead, ever since I was 4."

"So where have you been living?"

"In an orphanage til I was 15 and I've been on my own since then."

"What was the name of the orphanage?"

_Damn._ "It burned down a year ago. No one knows what the cause was."

Mr. Weasley seemed to consider this information. She hoped her lying sounded truthful to him. If he wasn't so comforting to be around, she wouldn't be answering any of his questions. But it seems that he is the only help she is being offered right now.

"That's too bad," replied Mr. Weasley. "I'm assuming you didn't have any brothers or sisters?"

"No, I'm an only child."

"No aunts, uncles, any relatives at all?"

"No, I'm all alone," How depressing her life must sound; then again, it has taken a pretty bad turn for the worst.

Mr. Weasley's sympathetic facial expression confirmed her thoughts. "So can you tell me what happened last night? You looked like you were dressed for the grannies' awards, or whatever you muggles call them."

Muggles? She furrowed her brow as if she was thinking very hard.

"…honestly I can't remember. It's as if there's a brick wall between me and my memories. I don't remember how I ended up in that bar." That was how she felt, but not about last night…

"Hmm that's not surprising considering your condition last night. You looked very confused and scared last night, I can't imagine it was anything good. Thankfully I was there to save you from that scoundrel."

"Who was he, why do I need to be protected from him?"

"I can't tell you that now, just that he is a very bad man."

She considered this. "Ok, I understand. So what happens now?"

"I need to get you to safety, and considering that everyone at the ministry seems to be preoccupied, you're going to have to stay with my family and I for a while. It'll be tight, but we can make room for one more, especially in this case."

She nodded, absorbing his words. "Thank you, I really do appreciate this. I'm all alone and you have shown me nothing but kindness. I won't forget this."

Mr. Weasley smiled as she regarded her words. "Think nothing of it. I need to check you out of here, grab your things, and then we can leave."

"ok", she said, smiling back." But can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Where am I?"

"St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladie's and Injuries," he replied. Not acknowledging the stunned look on her face, he turned around and left the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Magic. Had she heard him correctly? She was in a hospital for magical injuries. So that meant that magic existed. An unknown, illogical, and powerful force existed here. It explains the strange sights she saw in the hallway. It probably also explained why the cut on her head healed so quickly. However, the concept was still inconceivable to her. Magic, as she knew it, did not exist. It resided only in fairytales and fantasies meant for children. She remembered as a child how she dreamed of possessing powers that would enable her to fly. But those were dreams. This is was real. But for further backing, she needed to see it for herself.

She waited patiently for Mr. Weasley to return. She did not lie back in her bed, but rather sat erect. She felt it was improper for him, or anybody for that fact, to see her in such a common and personal position. It was not in her breeding to allow that. Every so often, she took a deep breathe, trying to steady her racing thoughts and trembling hands. She had to remain calm and in control while in this foreign world.

A short time later, Mr. Weasley entered the hospital room carrying a pamphlet of papers and a white sack, which she presumed contained her clothes.

"I realize that you were admitted to the hospital wearing this dress, but it is a bit too flashy to be wearing out in the public. But this situation will be shortly remedied." Said Mr. Weasly.

"With magic?" she asked.

His eyes crinkled with a smile. "Yes, ill conjure you some robes. You seem to be taking the idea of magic rather well."

She simply nodded. She was keen to see what he could do.

Mr. Weasley took out his wand and with a wave, a fresh pile of black robes and a pair of flats were sprawled across the bed.

She was amazed. Never before had she seen anything so impossible.

"There you go! Those should fit you alright. Sorry if theyre a little disheveled, my wife is the one who can fold them neatly without a second thought. You'll be meeting her, and the rest of the family, very soon. I sent them word that you will be living with us for a while."

Remembering her manners, she broke her eyes away from the robes. "That sounds lovely Mr. Weasley. Thank you, I will put them on immediately."

He nodded, stepped out, and have her some privacy.

Fighting her instinct to automatically be repulsed by the robes, she stood up and put them on. Once they were in place, she looked in the mirror to see how they looked.

They were not all that bad, she had to admit. They were roomy and airy. Even the funeral-color black expressed her mood. She sighed as she tried to divert her thoughts elsewhere. She slipped her feet into the flats, picked up the sack containing her things, and left the room.

***********

The first thing she noticed as she tumbled to the ground was that the earth smelled like dewey grass and the night was filled with the sound of crickets. Quickly, she got up and brushed off any dirt on the clothes that Mr. Weasley had lent her. They were a little big for her, but they were appropriate given the situation.

Mr. Weasley had transported from St. Mungo's via side-along apparition. This was her first, and most unpleasant, encounter with magic. Enjoying full use of her lungs again, she raised her head and gazed at the Weasley home or "The Burrow" as he had called it. All she could see through the dark were the numerous lights that shone brilliantly through the windows. It was as if there was a star resonating in their living room. She could not but help feel a little hopeful. Maybe things would work out…she instinctively felt for the ring around her finger and squeezed it.

"Watch where you're stepping. We have a miscellaneous things lying around, especially a very stingy cauldron that will dye your foot purple if you step in it." Commented Mr. Weasley. He had already started heading towards the house.

Heeding his warning, she was wary of anything that looked suspicious in the dark.

Seconds later, Mr. Weasley was knocking on the door. A woman's voice suddenly spoke:

"what is the password?"

"Pheonix feather." He replied.

The door opened suddenly and Mr. Weasley was hidden from view as a plump, short, red-haired woman pulled him into an embrace. She could only guess that she was his wife.

Not wishing to stay out in the night any longer, she walked into the lit-up room and closed the door behind her.

"Arthur I was so worried! How are you? Things have been dreadful in the world and all I could think about was what if…"

"Molly I'm fine. The mission went smoothly, and I'm sorry I didn't send word sooner, but we had a situation at hand."

"What situation?? Surely one not so disastrous that you couldn't even let your own wife know that you were still alive!"

"Molly can we discuss this later? Please, we have other things on our hands…"

"Other things? Don't try to change the subject Arthur Weasley!"

"Molly, turn around."

"You think this is a joke? This is serious!"

"Just please turn around molly, you will understand then."

From behind, Mercury saw her shoulders rise in irritation. She then turned around and a look of utter surprise etched itself on her face.

"wha…what? Who are you?" she gasped.

A little unnerved, she tried to answer in a confident voice. "My name is Myra Karvetski, um…it is very nice to meet you." Unsure what to do, she resorted to what she had been taught and ended with a curtsy.

The look of shock on Mrs. Weasley's face multiplied as she simply stared at Myra. Myra didn't know what to do. It was an awkward situation.

The silence was finally broken. "Arthur, I need to speak to you. Now, in private."

"Um, yes. Myra, if you will excuse us please. You can go wait in Ginny's room on the second floor. It is the first one on your right."

"Certainly, Mr. Weasley. Thank you." She gave them both a sincere smile before she turned and walked out of the room.

As she walked through she house and up the stairs, she could not help but ponder the look on Mrs. Weasley's face. Yes, it was a shock to see her, but what if there was more? What if she would not allow her to stay under her room? She did not know what she would do then. She would be on her own with that dangerous man on the loose…

Don't think about it, she told herself. First door on the right, there it is

She opened it and found herself admiring the feminine touch behind the decorations. It was a cheery room detailed with yellow wall-paper and cute little stuffed animals and figurines throughout. Feeling tired, she immediately spotted a bed and sat down.

The springs groaned despite her slight figure as she let out a long sigh. The tension of her situation was taking its toll on her and all she wanted to do at that moment was lay down to sleep. But, she knew she couldn't. It would be wrong to sleep in a stranger's bed.

Instead, she busied herself by admiring the numerous pictures on the nightstand. They amazed her, because they all seemed to be moving within the frame. One picture contained different, red-headed people riding around on broomsticks throwing a ball back and forth. "weird", she thought. Another picture was one of two people- a beautiful red-haired girl and a handsome dark-haired boy with glasses. They were standing against a backdrop of clear blue sky and a meadow of summer lilies. They were turned towards each other in the photo, barely moving. Their eyes were locked on each others, never looking away while holding hands.

Maybe it was the beautiful valley they were standing in, or the look of absolute love passing between them that caused her to tear up. If anything embodied the spirits of Tristan and her, it was the two people in this photo.

A tear drop fell on the photo frame. Quickly, she wiped it away with her sleeve. She did not want to tarnish this memoir of love that she so fully understood and needed.

She put the photo back on the table, stood up, and walked over to the window. A warm breeze swirled around her as she opened it. Crickets and owls called to her as she climbed onto the ledge and made herself comfortable. She gazed up at the sky, willing herself to find her planet.

She saw the Earth moon, which was very big tonight. It illuminated the night, turning everything into dark shadows. Unfamiliar stars glittered amongst the darkness. She knew the stars around her planet well, but not this one.

After minutes of searching, she found an orangish star. She felt an instinctive pull towards it and knew that it was hers. Seeing it gleaming comforted her. Yet, wistfulness enveloped her all the same. She wished to be back on her planet. She wished things would go back to the way they were. Sighing, she continued to gaze at it with all the longing in the world.

Minutes later, a popping noise interrupted her thoughts. She turned her attention inside and was startled to find a red-haired boy standing in the middle of the room, searching through drawers.

"Where did she leave my quidditch shoes…GINNY! Where did you leave the- BLIMEY!"

He jumped back in surprise as he finally discovered her sitting on the ledge.

'Bloody hell, who are you?" He yelled.

She was about to reply when a girl stomped into the room (the girl from the picture!)

"Fred I told you…WHO IS THAT?"

Ginny pulled out her wand and pointed it at Myra.

"Tell me who you are or I will hex you!"

Myra put up her hands for protection and said "Wait, don't! My name is Myra Karvetski and your dad brought me here!"

" Oh yea, I wont believe that for a second! What are you doing in my room? How did you find us? Answer me!

" What is going on up here?" Mr. Weasley entered the room to find Ginny fiercely interrogating Myra. "Ginny, put your wand down! What is the meaning of this? She is a guest in this house! Downstairs, now. Grab everyone else while you're at it.

Still a little flustered, Ginny nodded and left the room with Fred.

"Myra, I am so sorry about that. Are you ok?" asked Mr. Weasley.

She nodded, shakily.

"Good, then come downstairs. We need to discuss some things."

Myra stood up, took one last glance at her home, and followed Mr. Weasley to the kitchen.


End file.
